Ms. Sevon's Booktique

Genre: Fantasy Title: The Day the Crayons Quit Author: Drew Daywalt Illustrator: Oliver Jeffers Awards: Texas Bluebonnet Award Age Range: 3-6 Years Old Summary: Duncan receives letters from his crayons with some complaints and suggestions. Most of the crayons are upset because they are overworked and would like a break. On the other hand, there are one or two that would like to be used more. The crayons write their letters hoping that Duncan will take their thoughts into consideration. In the end, Duncan decides to draw a picture using all his crayons.  Evaluation: I absolutely enjoyed this book, especially because it is very different than most books. I love how the story is told by the crayons writing letters to Duncan. I would want this book to use in my classroom. I think it would be best for students that are in pre-kindergarten and first grade. After reading the book, I would have students create a drawing of their choice using as many colors as they wanted. Another way that ...

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction/Multicultural Title: The Day You Begin Author: Jacqueline Woodson Illustrator: Rafael Lopez Awards: N/A Age Range: 5-8 Years old Summary: The story gives insight into what students may face when they attend a new place such as school. It talks about how some children may feel out of place because they appear to be different on the outside when compared to others. The food they ate may seem strange, so they get embarrassed sometimes when people ask them what they are eating.  The girl in the story, Angelina, feels out of place because she does not look like the other students. However, she soon discovers that once she begins to talk about herself she finds things in common with her peers. Even though everyone may look different on the outside, talk differently, and eat different types of food there is something similar that makes others like you.  Evaluation: I really think this grade can be read to students in elementary, middle school, or...

Genre: Realistic Fiction Title: The Higher Power of Lucky Author: Susan Patron Awards: Newbery Medal Age Range: 8-11 Years old Summary: Lucky, a 10 year old girl, lived in Hard Pan, California, with her Guardian Brigitte. When Lucky was 8 her mother had died, and her father did not want her. Therefore, Lucky's dad called Brigitte, his ex-wife, and she came to California from France to take care of Lucky. There are not many jobs in Hard Pan, but Lucky got a job cleaning up after different meetings like smokers anonymous. As she would be cleaning, Lucky would like to hear the stories of those in the meeting because she was hoping they would explain how they found their "Higher Power." Lucky hoped to find her Higher Power for she believed if she found it, then Brigette would be her Guardian forever. Lucky worried that Brigette would go back to France because she missed it so much. One day when Lucky was in Brigette's room searching for her keys she noticed her suitcase. ...

Genre: Fiction Title: Call it Courage Author/Illustrator: Armstong Sperry Awards: Newbery Medal Age Range: 9-12 Years Old Summary: Mafatu is a young boy who lives on the island of Hikueru. Mafatu's father is the chief of the island, which highly values courage. However, Mafatu was not courageous like the other boys on the island because he was deathly afraid of the sea. Rather than going sailing and hunting for fish, Mafatu would stay on the island making spears and nets for the men to use. The young boys made fun of Mafatu by calling him a coward, which hurt his feelings and causes him to venture out onto the sea. Unfortunately, Mafatu got caught in a terrible storm which causes his sail to be torn and him to lose his paddle. He had to way to steer the boat, so Mafatu was just being carried by the waves of the ocean. Eventually, he spotted land, which was a deserted island or so hoped for he did not want to encounter the eaters-of-men. All the time he spent on the island, he was t...

Genre: Fantasy Title: Sulwe Author: Lupita Nyong'o Illustrator: Vashti Harrison Awards: Coretta Scott King Award Age Range: 3-8 Years old Summary: Sulwe, whose name means star, does not feel beautiful because she believes her skin is too dark. The kids at school call her mean names because she does not look like the others. Sulwe's mom explains to her that she has brightness in her and that she is beautiful because it is how she thinks of herself that matters most. Although, Sulwe still has a hard time believing what her mom has told her. At night, a shooting star came and took Sulwe on a journey while telling her a story of the sisters, Night and Day. They share a similar story like Sulwe and her sister for Night was given mean names while Day was loved by all and received nice nicknames. Night got upset, so she left. Eventually, everyone began to miss Night especially her sister Day. When Day found her sister Night she was able to convince her to come back to earth because sh...

Genre: Historical Fiction Title:  A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl's Journal, 1830-1832 Author: Joan W. Blos Awards: Newbery Medal  Age Range: 9-12 Years old Summary: The book is written in the form of a journal. The journal belongs to a young girl named Catherine Hall. She writes about her everyday life experiences of living on a farm with her father and little sister. Catherine is a sweet, smart girl who helps out her father a lot since her mother passed away. Although, one day  Catherine's father, Charles, goes away on business and returns with the news that he has found a woman to marry. Catherine though at first sho cked by the news begins to embrace her new step-mom whom she refers to as Mammann. Mammann ensures the house is clean and the children have good clothes. Also, when she discovers that Catherine has gotten rid of an old quilt she has her make a new one to make up for it.  Catherine's best friend is Cassie Shipman who lives nearby and she visits...

  Genre: Nonfiction/Biography Title: Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear Author: Lindsay Mattick  Illustrator: Sophie Blackall Awards: Caldecott Medal Age Range: 4-9 Years old Summary: This story is about how Harry Colebourn, a soldier, saved a bear from a trapper. He paid only $20 dollars for the bear that he named Winnipeg, but they called her Winnie. All the soldiers grew to love her and she was seen as a special bear. Winnie and Harry had a special bond and before he shipped out to France, Harry decided to take Winnie to the London Zoo. Though it was hard for Harry to leave Winnie, she was in the right place. Eventually, Winnie became friends with a young boy named Christopher Robin Milne. Alan Alexander Milne, Christopher's father, would watch him and Winnie play, which is where he go the inspiration to write Winnie the Pooh.  Evaluation: I absolutely enjoyed reading this book because I grew up loving Winnie the Pooh and I never new that th...